


After The Fall

by milograham



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, Hannibal Lecter - Freeform, Love, Love Crime, M/M, THE WRATH OF THE LAMB, The Fall - Freeform, Will Graham - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24922255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milograham/pseuds/milograham
Summary: “See?”That damned word again... but so sweet coming from his mouth.“See?""This is all I ever wanted for you Will.”Notes hung in the air as blood dripped from their lips. Will’s breathing was ragged and reverberant, blending in with the cacophony of rattling rib cages and wet linen.“For both of us.”Will raised his eyes and met Hannibal’s. Shining droplets ran along the monster’s waterline and fell, quickly filling Will with the same kind of emotion. Tears choked him as he painted out the words in response, “it’s beautiful.”— — —They plummeted off the cliff at speeds that felt, at the time, fast enough to break the sound barrier. Hannibal hit the water first. Will, not a second after. God was gracious to him— he hit the water conscious."H— Hannibal!" Will's shaky voice could barely be heard over the water. "Hannibal!"
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 3
Kudos: 74





	After The Fall

You wouldn't have been able to hear it if you had been standing at the top of the cliff. The water was thunderous and violent against the tall, jutting rock the pair had fallen off of— the waves traced along the rock’s foundation, pushing it back ever so slightly and indenting it further and further. 

This particular rock had been around for thousands of years... long before the doctor and his friend had been alive. It knew many stories. 

It knew the stories of man and monster, told to him so long ago during the archaic period. It knew the stories of man and lover, told to him since then by star-crossed persons who had sat on its top and watched the sun set. It knew the stories of enemies, and it knew the stories of friends. 

And yet, it had never been told such a story as this. Man and monster, star-crossed lovers... enemy and friend. They were all of these things at once. The cliff had felt it seeping down through its grasses— pure emotion. Love.

But, of course, being human, neither of them had known it. At least... not until they toppled over the side of the cliff like blood-soaked poppets.

Will’s hand grasped Hannibal’s shoulder tighter as his heels trembled in their spots. The blood coating his face, stomach and appendages was far too much. He understood the presence of an unholy amount of adrenaline... yes, that must be it. Or he would already be at the water.

“See?”

That damned word again... but so sweet coming from his mouth.

“This is all I ever wanted for you Will.”

Notes hung in the air as blood dripped from their lips. Will’s breathing was ragged and reverberant, blending in with the cacophony of rattling rib cages and wet linen.

“For both of us.”

Will raised his eyes and met Hannibal’s. Shining droplets ran along the monster’s waterline and fell, quickly filling Will with the same kind of emotion. Tears choked him as he painted out the words in response, “it’s beautiful.”

His arm shakily slid up Hannibal’s collarbone and he embraced him. Hannibal pressed his face against Will’s, holding him just as tight.

And then, Will turned his body, one with Hannibal, and fell.

— — —

They plummeted off the cliff at speeds that felt, at the time, fast enough to break the sound barrier. Hannibal hit the water first. Will, not a second after. God was gracious to him— he hit the water conscious.

"H— Hannibal!" Will's shaky voice could barely be heard over the water. "Hannibal!"

He shivered from the cold while he turned his head back and forth, looking for Hannibal. There was no sign of him. Will took a deep breath in and dove under the freezing waves. He thrashed around under the water, trying to get enough blood from his heart to his arms to his fingers and toes. He opened his mouth and screamed into the abyss.

His foot touched something and he dove again, scooping the form into his arms and bringing it to the surface. He slung Hannibal's lifeless form over his shoulder and swam as fast as his body permitted him to swim back to shore. The journey from water to land felt much longer than it was, and Will let out a painful gasp of relief when they reached it. He pushed Hannibal's body along the rocks and seashells— far enough so that his head was rested in a pillow of sand and water.

"Hanni—" Will started, descending into a coughing fit instead. He choked and purged the water from his lungs and stomach. "Hannibal!" He flew forward and put his hands on his chest. "Fuck! Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead, Hannibal, please."

He definitely wasn't breathing. 

"God," Will stifled as he started pushing down on Hannibal's chest, practicing CPR. "Come on, come on, Hannibal. Come on!" He pumped with the heels of his hands longer, then let off. He cursed himself as he leaned forward and grasped Hannibal's jaw, pulling it and opening his mouth. He used his other hand to pinch his nose. He put his lips over Hannibal's, breathing as much life as he could into the other man; one, two, three times. Then he went back to pumping his chest. Hannibal still wasn't breathing.

"Shit, shit, shit, Hannibal, you can't be dead. You can't be dead, Hannibal, you can't. I can't— I can't life without you, I—" he stifled a sob and put his mouth back over Hannibal's, blowing a pathetic concoction of CO2 and oxygen. "Doctor Lecter," he cried theatrically, working on his chest again, "I've gone my entire life without a constant. You— you're my constant. Throughout everything you put me through, you were my constant." Will started to openly cry. "I, I, I don't know what I'm going to do without you! I can't!" He opened Hannibal's mouth again, tears flowing from his cheeks to his doctor's.

"I love you, Hannibal." He pumped his hands against his chest harder than before. "I love you! You can't be dead because I fucking love you!" 

A warped, garbled noise made its way from Hannibal's chest and he convulsed, spewing water from his throat. Will was thrown back, hands behind him in the sand, eyes wide as he watched Hannibal awaken. And then he took a breath in. 

All was quiet except for the ragged breaths they both drew, Hannibal more so.

Hannibal slowly sat up and looked at the other.

"Will," he breathed. "Will..." he slumped back down, passing out from either pain or exhaustion... or both. Will gritted his teeth, the corners of his mouth turned slightly in relief. He crawled over to Hannibal and slung his arm around his neck, craning his back and dragging him across the sand. He pulled himself and his doctor to shelter underneath a rocky overhang, which shielded them from the light of the moon.

They would rest here for a few hours, then get help.


End file.
